WEBVTT
Kind: captions
Language: en

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Good morning!

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Welcome to the first Purple
Heart Recognition Day Program.

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It's always customary for those of us in the
Veterans Commission to acknowledge our elected

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officials first, those folks who are down
here and have taken of their time to commemorate

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this event with us.

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I know the Mayor is here, the City Administrator's
here, I know that David Seitzer is here from the City

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Council, our bugle call man Michael Flandermeyer,
and I know there are a couple of other guys

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around here, Tom Besselman is here.

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Anybody else, I don't want to miss anybody.

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Okay, Chief Firefighter.

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Okay, they're here, they're not elected
though, elected officials.

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Anyway, we're glad to have you here.

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It's a wonderful day for us because this is
the first time that your Veterans Commission,

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in 3 years, has been able to have an event
outside without inclement weather, without

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having to move up the hill or without having
to go inside, so thank God we have it for

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this wonderful day.

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Let us start off with the invocation.

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The invocation will be given by Larry Brown,
Chaplain of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post

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2866, who is a Purple Heart recipient, as
well as having 2 distinguished flying crosses.

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Thank you, Tom.

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Let us pray.

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Heavenly Father, today we honor all soldiers
who have been injured during combat service

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to our country.

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Our City has been designated as a Purple Heart
City in recognition of their sacrifice.

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We ask your blessing on all Purple Heart recipients,
and especially for the families of those

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who made the ultimate sacrifice.

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In memory of those soldiers, we will now have
a few moments of silence to reflect on the

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significance of their ultimate
sacrifice for our freedom.

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In your Holy Name, Amen.

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Thank you.

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Please remain standing for the presentation
of the colors, the raising of the United States

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and the Purple Heart flags.

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Detail-Atten-Hut!

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Present Arms!

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♪Bugle playing♪

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The Pledge of Allegiance
will be given by Don Newman.

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Don.

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Comrades, please join me and sisters.

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I pledge allegiance, to the flag, of the United
States of America, and to the Republic, for

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which it stands, one nation, under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

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Order, Arms!

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Please be seated.

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We're very honored this morning to have our
Mayor with us to commemorate this event, and

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this is a first-time affair.

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Please give a warm welcome to the Mayor
of the City of Saint Charles, Dan Borgmeyer.

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*applause*

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I'm gonna put my glasses on if nobody minds.

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I've got some prepared notes, I was not
supposed to be here this morning.

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Mr. Dobrosky was going to stand in for me.

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He actually wore his purple shirt,
which I was impressed.

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I don't even have a purple shirt, so I don't
know how many of you guys have a purple shirt,

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so I was impressed.

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They did prepare a few notes that I'd like
to speak to this morning, but I want to talk

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to you about something else;
about the Purple Heart.

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I was a Combat Veteran, and I think when you're
a Combat Veteran, you don't realize what a

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Combat Veteran is while you are one.

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You're just over there and all of a sudden,
what happens happens where you are,

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and you're involved in it.

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And some of it has to do with bravery, some
of it has to do with spirit, and some of it

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has to do with training, and some of it has to do
with just trying to stay alive for another day.

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And I knew a lot of guys who got these things,
and they didn't get them intentionally.

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They didn't go out there and
try to get a Purple Heart.

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They went out there.

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I've often said this, the reason 19-year-old
guys fight wars is because when they say "charge

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that hill" when you're 19, you go "yeah!"
and you charge the hill.

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When you're 40 years old, and they say "charge
the hill," you say "Let's talk about this

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hill, what it means, what the
significance of it is."

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So a lot of it is just youthful exuberance,
and most of it is dedication.

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I was a volunteer in Vietnam, and most of
the guys in my unit were.

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And we fought the good fight, we got to see
some action, which I guess when you're old

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and you want to tell the stories, it's a good
thing to have than just being on KP Duty for

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that many years.

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But the significance of those
guys that took the hits.

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And there's no glory in a Purple
Heart, it is painful.

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It is horribly painful.

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It depends on where you get shot, and how
many times you get shot, and what impact it

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has on your future life.

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So, a Purple Heart is of special significance
to me, and should be of special significance

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to everybody in our country.

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I hope we come to a stronger realization as
a country of what those who serve us do for us.

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And with that, Larry said "don't read the
part that says Dan Borgmeyer," so I won't.

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Hello, and welcome to the Purple Heart
Recognition Day Program here at City Hall.

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Thank you for taking the time to be here.

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Thank you Tom Kuypers, who's been very involved
in this and made this all a part of what it is.

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It is an honor to recognize those who have
earned the prestigious Purple Heart.

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The Purple Heart is awarded to members of
the Armed Forces of the U.S. who are wounded

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by an instrument of war in the hands of the
enemy, or to the next of kin in the name of

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those who are killed in action or
die of wounds received in action.

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It is specifically a combat declaration.

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We are thrilled that the City of Saint Charles
is now recognized as a Purple Heart City.

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We have signs throughout the City, letting
everyone know that this designation, as well

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as 5 designated parking spaces at City
facilities, are for Purple Heart recipients.

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And the Purple Heart flag being raised today
is just another wonderful symbol of this designation

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to honor those who have served our country.

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Thank you to all the military who are here
today and to those who could not be with us.

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I'd like to leave you with a final reminder
that the Purple Heart is about a ceremony,

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it's about flags and it's about parking spaces,
but it's about kids who got shot.

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God bless everyone.

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Thank you Tom.

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*applause*

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Art Minor is a Veteran of the Korean War,
the so-called forgotten war, and he has a

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few words concerning
the Purple Heart, so Art.

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The history of the Purple Heart Medal's origin
can be traced to the Revolutionary War.

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It was originally known as
the Badge of Military Merit.

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The medal was established by General George
Washington on August 7th, 1782 in Newburgh,

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New York, and was awarded to 3
Revolutionary War Soldiers.

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The award consisted of a simple white ribbon
with a heart-shaped violet cloth emblem.

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Today, the Purple Heart Award consists of
a purple ribbon with 2 white stripes on the

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edges, a heart-shaped purple medal with gold
trim around the edge, and a profile image

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of George Washington in gold on the front.

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There has been approximately 1,900,000
Purple Heart Medals awarded.

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And as of the last count, it is our oldest
military award still given.

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Thank you Art.

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And now, we'd like to recognize those who
hold the Purple Heart, who have received the

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Purple Heart for wounds
received in combat action.

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Will those who have received
the Purple Heart, please rise.

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*applause*

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As they say, thank you for your service,
for sure, and thank you for attending

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today, and it's an honor to
recognize you folks.

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That pretty well sums up the program.

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I do want to thank our Media Department, also
our elected representatives, and this turned

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out to be a beautiful day, and we also want
to thank the Public Works Department for the

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assistance in setting this up, and also to
the Mayor's office for making sure that the

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invites got out and the people were
coming and we appreciate that.

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So, thank you very much and have a good day.

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*applause*